5 killed in India religious clashes over mosque
AT LEAST five people were killed and dozens more injured Friday after the destruction of a mosque and a religious school triggered clashes in northern India’s Uttarakhand.
Authorities in the northern state of Uttarakhand had bulldozed the mosque and Islamic school Thursday, claiming they had been built without permission. The demolition was the latest in targeting Islamic structures.
Hindu nationalist groups have been emboldened in their campaign against Muslim religious structures since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office a decade ago.
Police said that Muslim protesters threw stones at them in the protests that followed, prompting them to fire tear gas in response.
Five people had been killed in the clashes in Haldwani district, police spokesman Nilesh Anand Bharne told reporters.
District official Vandana Singh told reporters that dozens of others were being treated at “various hospitals.”
“Orders have been given to shoot the rioters on sight,” she added.
Footage of the clashes posted on social media showed Hindu residents of the district chanting anti-Muslim slogans and throwing stones at the crowd.
Authorities in Haldwani suspended internet services, closed schools, imposed a curfew and banned large gatherings after the violence broke out.
Security forces were also rushed into the area from other parts of the state to contain the unrest, officials said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the government would punish anyone found to have participated in the unrest.
“Anyone who attempts to disturb the peace will not be spared,” he said in a Friday social media post.